Herpesviruses represent a group of double-stranded DNA viruses distributed widely within the animal kingdom. Various forms of genetic engineering have been performed on herpesviruses which has resulted in the construction of viral vectors in which the viral genome contains deletions/modifications of certain genomic sequences and further comprises heterologous nucleic acid (e.g., DNA) sequences. Such viral vectors can infect a target cell and express the heterologous sequence. In effect, the virus becomes an elaborate delivery system for the heterologous nucleic acid sequence of interest. Such compositions find particular use in the fields of gene therapy, drug delivery and vaccine development.
Methods continue to be needed in the art to improve the herpesvirus vector systems and their ability to express nucleic acid sequences of interest.